Fatherhood
by Fantasy is now Non-Fiction
Summary: To Skye, thieving wasn't only an occupation - it was a way of life, but at the same time it was just a stepping stone to his ultimate goal. To become a chef, to have his own restaurant, to make the best curry the world had every smelt. But then all that changed. On one quiet night, he contemplates life's turns, both the good and the bad. Was it all worth it? He smiled. Yes. It was.


_**Fatherhood.**_  
_To Skye, thieving wasn't only an occupation - it was a way of life, but at the same time it was just a stepping stone to his ultimate goal. To become a chef, to have his own restaurant, to make the best curry the world had every smelt. Tasted. But then all that changed. On one quiet night, he contemplates life's turns, both the good and the bad. Was it all worth it? He smiled. Yes. It was._

* * *

Skye dried the last plate and put it away in the cupboard. Looking over to the living room, he could see Jill kneeling on the floor by the sofa. She was whispering excitedly, her beautiful violet eyes closed in a content, open-mouthed smile.  
"Oh, so Bear likes to go adventuring?" She was saying. Skye smiled as he made his way over, leaning over the back of the sofa. Jill glanced at him with her bright, stunning eyes. That loving look sent a wave of warmth through him. Faye, seven years old and with her mother's brown hair and small nose, didn't notice her father's presence as he stood above her. Her very own guardian angel. She ran her teddy about the floor in front of her, waving his fluffy brown arm as if he were brandishing a sword,  
"Bear's the best adventurer ever!" Faye hopped up with Bear as he leapt and landed valiantly on the sofa, "He's really brave." She grinned, looking up. Skye tipped his head to the side in a smile. She had his eyes. She was part of him, just like she was part of Jill. She connected them all with ties stronger than any blue feather.  
"He's braver than Daddy." Skye stared, his smile fell. A chuckle escaped him along with a smirk,  
"Really now?" Faye nodded,  
"Yeah, he's the bravest adventurer ever."  
"Well then," Skye reached over and plucked her from the floor, "If Daddy's not brave, then he's going to have to go to bed so he doesn't see all the nasty night monsters. Which means that _you_, missy, have to go to bed too." Jill got to her feet, picking up Bear.  
"No fair!" Faye whined, wriggling in Skye's hold as he began towards the bedrooms. He only smiled and rested her on his hip, stopping by Jill and kissing her softly on the lips, hand brushing her shoulder.  
"Goodnight Honey." He breathed. Faye squealed in disgust and pushed at her Daddy's face,  
"_Ewww!_" Skye chuckled and carried her away to her room.

Faye wiggled and fidgeted as Skye tried to tuck her under the covers. A wide smile stretched across his face at her antics, and he tucked the sheets in tighter so she couldn't wriggle free.  
"Alright then Princess, goodnight." He whispered, stroking her hair back and kissing her temple.  
"_Blegh._" Faye rolled her tongue out and Skye chuckled, stroking her hair once more before turning for the door,  
"Goodnight Faye."  
"Wait. Daddy." Skye stopped and turned,  
"Hm? What is it?" Faye freed one arm and plopped it over her chest,  
"I'm not sleepy. Will you read me a story?" He smiled and let go of the door,  
"Anything for my Princess." He took a seat on Faye's stool, stroking her hair back again, "What do you want?"  
"I don't mind." She wriggled further under the duvet with a smile that stretched from ear to ear.  
"Alright then," Skye said, "Close your eyes."

"There was once an ugly duckling," Skye began. "He hatched into a duck's nest, but when the mother duck saw him, she proclaimed him ugly and so did her children. Nevertheless, she took him down to the pond with the rest of her brood to learn to swim. On the way, they passed through the farm and all the animals stared and made fun of the ugly duckling." Faye turned onto her side, eyes still closed.  
"That's sad." She murmured. Skye nodded,  
"Yeah, yeah it is." He paused for a moment, "The ugly duckling didn't know why all of the other farm animals were laughing at him, he couldn't possibly be that ugly, right? But when he got to the pond with the mother duck and her brood, he gasped in dismay for there, reflected in the water, was the ugliest face he had ever seen. He understood why everybody had been staring and making fun of him now - his feathers were a hideous sooty grey colour and didn't lie smoothly. He looked awful. Filled with sorrow, the ugly duckling fled the farm. He wandered for weeks, bearing the weight of everyone's judgement. Even the grasshoppers in the long grass verges sung about his drab, depressing feathers. 'Why am I so ugly?' he would ask himself, but no answer would come. One day though, he came to a large pond in which swam a flock of stunning and beautiful swans. Their feathers were the purest white - the ugly duckling was sure that no beauty could match theirs. And he wept, for he knew that no matter how much he wished he would never be so beautiful. But he could not bring himself to leave the elegant creatures and so made a bed in the reeds and watched them. Long, sorrowful month passed after sorrowful month until one day, when the ugly duckling looked at his reflection in the water, he saw not the ugly duckling with grey, drab feathers, but a glorious white-feathered beauty. He cried out with both alarm and joy - was this really him? Was he really this beautiful? The other swans saw him and made their way over. 'How handsome you are' one said, 'You are truly the most beautiful of us all' praised another. The ugly duckling wept tears of joy for he had turned into a beautiful swan." Skye ended, looking down at Faye.

Her chest rose and fell in deep, slow breaths. Her eyes were still shut; she was fast asleep. Skye smiled and kissed her forehead.  
"Goodnight Princess, sweet dreams." He stood and left the dark room, closing the door softly behind him. His thoughts drifted from him and he found himself thinking upon how things could have turned out in his life. Faye- Jill and Faye had changed him so much. His thieving days were over, he was no longer a criminal, the police were no longer after him. He smiled ever so slightly. He had stolen so that he could open a restaurant and make the best curry in the world, but in fact, he had ended up walking a very different path. He didn't want that now, he had made that decision long ago when he accepted the blue feather from Jill. _Jill, _just the mention of her name made his heart thud and glow. And now they had a baby - seven years old and he still thought of her as a baby. Skye chuckled, funny how parenthood worked. Even from behind the door, he could hear her breathing. A father. That's what he was now, and he knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

He smiled as he made his way to bed. He wouldn't change a second of it.

* * *

_Fin~_


End file.
